Organisational successes leading Bulgaria to greater heights

20 Oct. 2020

Organisational successes leading Bulgaria to greater heights

As part of the meeting of the European Handball Federation Executive Committee in September, Bulgaria were announced as the hosts of the next Beach Handball EURO as well as the U19 European beach handball championship that will take place immediately prior, in the summer of 2021. The announcement was a reason for great excitement in Bulgarian handball – but is of little surprise given the recent history of hosting major events in the country. 

The EHF Executive Committee made the decision “emphasising the fact that Bulgaria is already an experienced organiser of various international indoor events and that the local organising committee has made great efforts to make it possible to hold such a serious beach handball competition in the country for the first time,” as stated on the official website of the Bulgarian Handball Federation.   

The Bulgarian Handball Federation have been hard at work showing the possibilities for major handball events in their country. In 2017, Bulgaria were hosts of the 2nd IHF Emerging Nations Championship, won by the Faroe Islands. 

On a continental level, Bulgaria have been chosen as organisers for three Youth Age Category (YAC) European championship events – the second-tier continental tournament was introduced in 2016 to enable an increased number of YAC European teams to play competitive championships. While the top teams contest the YAC EHF EUROs, the lower-ranked sides are divided into different European championships events taking place simultaneously with the specific age group’s EURO. 

Bulgaria were the organisers for one of the first of those YAC European championships – for U18 men’s teams in 2016 – thereby playing a vital role in the success of this new format introduced by the EHF that year and since continued. They followed that event by hosting the 2019 U19 women’s championship and then were due to host the 2020 U18 men’s championship before it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Now, Bulgaria prepare to welcome 64 teams with almost 1,200 participants from across Europe for the two beach handball events to take place in the summer of 2021. For the events, the Bulgarian Handball Federation will construct four playing courts on the main beach in the city of Varna. 

The U19 YAC Beach Handball EURO will be held from 8 to 11 July 2021, followed by the Beach Handball EURO, taking place from 13 to 18 July. 

More information on the Bulgarian Handball Federation can be found on their official website